Improvement in purifying animal charcoal



HERMANN 4EllSSlllllL-D'l, OF' SOLLINGEN, DUCHY OF BRUNSWICK', AND AMILLO THUMB, OF MAGDEBURG, PRUSSIA.

Letters Patent No. 113,279, dated April 4, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN PURIFVING ANIMAL CHARCOAL.

The Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Dr. HERMANN ErssFELsoT, of Sollingen, in the Duchy of Brunswick, Germany, and CAMILLO THUMB, of Magdeburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the 'li-rocess of Revivifying Animal Charcoal; an'd we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying 4drawing forming Dart of this specification, in which- Figure l is a front yelevation Y0I the apparatus constructed in accordance-with our invention, showing one of -the vessels partly in section.

Figure 2 is a plan of the same corresponding with iig. l.

`Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention is designed to effect that part of the revivifying process commonly effected by burning, and its object is to complete the reviviiication more veconominally and with less waste.

' It' consists in the treatment or" the charcoal with concentrated ammonia, and in au apparatus of novel character for effecting such treatment.

To enable others to carry out our invention we will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing.

A A' are cylindrical cooking vessels, of a construction and size similar to each other, which are placed upright and on a level witheach other on a proper platform; these vessels are closed at their bottoms, but are provided with openings or mau-holes B B' in their tops, having tight covers secured in the ordinary way.

Within these vessels two false bottoms are an ranged at a certain distance from each other. These false bottoms may be made oi" sheet-iron and in several parts, so that they can be taken out convenientlyT 'through the openings or man-holes() C formed in the sides` of the vessels A A'.

Between these false bottoms screens aaare arranged.

'D E are condensing vessels, made preferably of cy lindrical form, and provlded with tight covers. These condensing vessels are placed upright on a platibrm elevated and `to'one side of vessels A A.

lfVithin the vessel D a coiled pipe or worm, F, is aru ranged, reaching nearly from top to bottom, both ends, the opper and lower one, passing through the side of the vessel to connect with pipes, that will be deseribed-hereafter.

The vessel E also has a worm, G, arranged within it, both ends of whichare passed through the side of the vessel at an equal distance from the bottom of the latter'.

A central tube, t, is secured to the cover of the vessel E, extending downward close to the bottom of the same, where said tube is provided witha rose, c.

A water-pipe cl, is also extended through the cover of the vessel E, to within a short distance of the bottom of the said vessel, and is provided above the cover with a cook, d.

A thermometer, e, and a water-gauge, f, are arranged to the outside of' the vesseL fClose to the vessel E a cistern, H, -is arranged on the same platform, both at the top and bottom, by means of pipes y 71., of

which the pipe lt, that passes through the top of the cistern H, is extended nearly to thebottoin of thelatter. Y I is a receiving vessel of proportionate size, arranged on a base below-theplatforrn, on which the vessels A A are placed, and to one side of the latter. This vessel is provided with a tight cover, and has a steamworm, J, arranged within it, both ends oi' which, the

inlet andoutlet, pass tothe outside ol' the vessel. 0n top ofthe cover of the vessel I a hopper', i, having a valve, i', and a safety-valve, j, opening inwardly,

vare arranged.

To the bottomof the vessel a disohargecock, lt, is secured, and with the tops of the formera steam-pipe, l, is connected, which passes upward to connect with the central steam-pipe l) ofthe vessel E.

The operation is as follows:

The charcoal having been treated with soda and then washed and evaporated,as is ordinarilydone before burning, is placed into the -vesselsA A through the upper man-holes B B, up to within about two inches of the peeping-holes m m; when the man-holes are tightly. closed, steain is admitted to the vessels A A by openingthe cocks n n, which establish communication between the upper parts of the vessels A A' -and a steam-pipe, K. rlhis is done for the purpose of expelling the water contained in said vessel through the pipes o o, the discharge-pipes 02o3 being also open. This being accomplished, said cocks are closed and the cocks p p1 p2 are opened, which permits the ammoniacal liquid contained inthe condensing vessel E to dow in the vessels A A. When the liquid has risen to the level of the charcoal contained in said vessels, or a littlc above it, which can-be observed through the peepholes, those cocks are closed and the cocks g g' and c' r are opened, whereby steam is' allowed to pass from .the steam-pipe K through the pipes s s]v into the vessels A A', just below the perforated false bottoms in said Vessels, and the cooking process commences; at the same time steam is allowed to passup through the pipe s2 into the worin F, arranged in; the condensing vessel D, whereby said steam is condensed, coid water being allowed to ow'continnally through the vessel D' by means ofv the pipe. t," that being the inlet-I boiling process is continued for about one hour, when the liquid contained in the vessels A A is entirely dis` charged into the receiving vessel I by opening the cocks w w, and the charcoal can be discharged through the man-holes C C'.

The ammoniaical liquid contained in the condensing vessel E consists of distilled water having absorbed two per cent. of ammonia. I v

The restitution of ammonia is obtainedby pouring lime-Water through the hopper into the receiving vessel I, thus setting free ammonia, which is evaporated by means of the steam-worm4 J, and condensed and absorbed by the water contained in the condensing 4vessel E. The cistern H serves to hold all unabsorbed' vapors, and serves to provide against a too great pressure 1n the vessel-E.

The cooking of the animal charcoal with the lammoniacal liquid and the restitution of' .ammonia are re peat-ed vuntil hejcharcoal is completely cleaned. The charcoal is thenwash'ed with distilled Water, 'when it Y is ready to be used again. i

NVhat is here claimed, and desired 'to be securedfby Letters Patent, is

1. The treatment'of animal charcoal in the process I DE. HERMANN EIssnELDT. CAMILLO T HUMB. f

- Witnesses:

'PETER BARTHEL,

FRANZ WIRTH. 

